Schottky diodes are used widely in electronic systems such as amplifiers, receivers, control and guidance systems, power and signal monitors, and as rectifiers and clamps in RF circuits. Commercial applications include radiation detectors, imaging devices, and wired and wireless communications products. High frequency Schottky diodes may be GaAs devices, and frequently are discrete devices. RF Schottky diodes can also be silicon devices, which may be integrated in silicon integrated circuits.
To improve leakage characteristics, high performance Schotkky diodes are provided with junction guard rings. These devices provide excellent breakdown characteristics in both forward and reverse bias, but the switching speed of junction guarded devices is limited by minority carrier injection from the junction. Thus there appears to be an unavoidable design tradeoff between breakdown voltage and switching speed in junction guarded Schottky diodes.